Hardships encountered during unfavorable weather conditions - A sailing vessel overturned near Sicily, resulting in one fatality, and six individuals reported missing.
In a maritime mishap off the coast of Sicily, a life has been claimed, and six individuals are yet to be found. The Italian Coast Guard in Porticello, Palermo, confirmed this to the German Press Agency. As per British media sources, amongst the missing is tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, believed to be the owner of the lavish yacht "Bayesian" that sank.
Prior reports by the Italian news agency ANSA suggested a severe storm with powerful winds had overturned the vessel off Porticello on north Sicily's coast during early morning hours. Initially, seven individuals were reported missing; however, a body was subsequently discovered in the water. The northern coast of Sicily endured a heavy storm with strong winds throughout the night.
An estimated 22 individuals were on board the approximately 50-meter-long yacht, with British registration. The Italian Coast Guard revealed this count, which included 12 passengers and 10 crew members. Fifteen individuals were successfully rescued and transported to land by both the Coast Guard and fire department. The six unaccounted-for individuals include four British nationals, an American, and a Canadian.
Account of the German Captain
The survivors were transferred to another vessel bearing a Dutch flag. The German captain relayed his account to Italian media: "The boat began to tilt, and within minutes, it plunged beneath the waves. It transpired rather rapidly."
Rescue teams from both the Coast Guard and the fire department continue their search for the six missing individuals. Four ships and a Coast Guard helicopter, in addition to a fire department diving team, are partaking in the search. The submerged remnants of the large sailing yacht rest at a depth of 49 meters on the ocean floor. Italian media reports indicate that rescue divers have spotted bodies within the cabins through portholes.
The Vanished Tech Titan
Often dubbed as "British Bill Gates" by domestic tabloids, the missing tech magnate Lynch is the co-founder of software company Autonomy. This company was sold to the US conglomerate Hewlett Packard in 2011 for £11 billion (currently €12.9 billion). Just a couple of weeks ago, Lynch was exonerated in a US fraud trial related to the Autonomy deal.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes in the water during the occurrence. One of the survivors, a British woman named Charlotte, shared her account with the newspaper "La Repubblica." She reported losing sight of her one-year-old daughter for a brief moment within the water yet managed to keep her afloat above the waves. "Everything was shrouded in darkness. I couldn't keep my eyes open in the water. I called for assistance, but all I could hear were the screams of others."
The boat accident off the coast of Sicily resulted in the disappearance of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, one of the owners of the sunken yacht "Bayesian". Despite the efforts of rescue teams, including four ships and a Coast Guard helicopter, six individuals, including Lynch, remain unaccounted for.
The Italian Coast Guard announced that among the missing are four British nationals, an American, and a Canadian, following the boat accident that left a body in the water and 15 individuals rescued.
